Belpitt was born on May 3, 1860, in Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. By October 7, 1884, he was serving in the U.S. Navy as Captain of the Afterguard on the USS Monocacy. On that morning, while Monocacy was at Fuzhou, China, he jumped overboard and rescued a Chinese man whose canoe had capsized. For this action, Belpitt was awarded the Medal of Honor.

MOH CITATION;

On board the U.S.S. Monocacy, Foochow, China, 7 October 1884. Jumping overboard from that vessel on the morning of this date, Belpitt sustained, until picked up, a Chinaman who had been thrown into the water by the capsizing of a canoe.